Greenhorns and Rivals: Our Family
by Mahone-chic-89
Summary: DEADLIEST CATCH: Ever wonder what happened between the other two stories? See inside for full summary and other details!
1. Summary

**Okay, so this is now the third Deadliest Catch story I am currently working on! Crazy, I know, but I'm hoping that since its summer I will have a little more time to write than I did during school.**

**For those of you who have not read the previous Greenhorns and Rivals stories, there are 2 that come before this one:**

**Greenhorns and Rivals**

**Greenhorns and Rivals: The Next Generation**

**You can get the links for these 2 on my profile page.**

**The other two stories I am working on are:**

**Brother's Keeper**** – centering on the Harris brothers of the Cornelia Marie. I am writing this along with Snowymistyriver**

**Elbow Room**** – about a girl who owns the Elbow Room (the local bar in Dutch Harbor).**

**And now, here is the summary for ****Greenhorns and Rivals: Our Family**

Ever wonder what happened all those years between the first two Greenhorns and Rivals stories?

Well now you don't have to wonder anymore!

This series takes place before Sarah took over the Northwestern and after Jack's first year on the high seas. From the wedding to their retirement, this series "fills in" all those years and major events that were initially skipped over.

I hope you like it! I have a great idea for a major conflict!! Should be interesting to see what side you guys choose this time around!


	2. Two Months Later

Two months after Greenhorns and Rivals…

Edgar fidgeted with his tux. He pulled at the sleeves and straightened it out for the hundredth time in the past ten minutes. Sig nudged him and shook his head slightly. Edgar shot him a worried and fearful look.

"I just want everything to be perfect," he hissed under his breath.

Sig smiled knowingly and gave his little brother an encouraging nod.

"I know, trust me," he assured him, "It'll be okay, you'll see. When she walks through that door all your fears will go away."

Matt nodded in agreement and gave his friend a smile of encouragement.

Edgar smiled back, thankful to have the people he cared most about standing beside of him on this very important day. He gazed down at the line of men he had chosen. Sig: his older brother and personal hero, Matt: his best friend since grade school, Jake: the greenhorn who had a special spirit and strong loyalty to his boat and his newfound friends, Nick: one of the best deckhands and friends he had ever known, and Norman: his quiet, but very wise brother.

Suddenly, the music grew louder and the audience rose to their feet and turned to face the back door of the very large church. The doors opened slowly and Jack began to walk down the aisle. Her long, flowing white dress drew several oo's and ahh's from the crowd. It fit snuggly around her well-proportioned and in-shape body and dragged the ground as she walked toward the alter.

Edgar inhaled sharply and felt his heart skip a beat at the sight of his beautiful bride. Sig was right. Instantly, Edgar broke out into a wide grin, his eyes sparkling with barely suppressed joy.

Jack made eye-contact with Edgar instantly and never took her eyes off of him as she slowly made her way towards him.

As she took her place across from him, the minister began to open up the ceremony. When it came time to recite their vows, Edgar held up a hand to stop the minister.

"I kind of wrote my own, actually," he said with a nervous smile.

Jack's eyes flew open in surprise as Edgar leaned in closer to her and began to speak.

"Jack, from the moment you walked onto the boat, I loved you. I know it's hard to believe…I was pretty mean to you at first."

This drew a few snickers and laughs from the rest of the Northwestern crew. Edgar turned to glance at them over his shoulder. He shook his head and smiled as he turned back to Jack. She had an amused look on her face and suddenly Edgar was overwhelmed with how much he loved this young woman.

"We've been through a lot already. We made it through some of the worst weather and some pretty close calls on deck. We even overcame the Maverick and their lovely captain."

A chorus of boos and angry shouts echoed throughout the church. Jack laughed and glanced out into the audience. The crew of the Cornelia Marie was the loudest of the bunch. Josh and Jake were making fists 

and smacking them into their hands angrily. They still had not forgiven Blake Painter for all he had done that past year.

"You saved my life once too. I nearly fell overboard but you grabbed me just in time. We've faced a lot of struggles, but through it all you remained the same. You never compromised, you never gave in. You were true to the Northwestern, true to yourself…and true to me. No matter what happens in the future I will never forget this past year. I love you so much, Jack. I hope you know just how deeply I love you."

Jack was tearing up as the minister took over and helped them recite their official vows. Once Edgar finished putting Jack's ring on her finger, he moved in and kissed her deeply.

The audience hollered, whooped, and whistled happily for the newlyweds. Suddenly, before Jack knew what was going on, Edgar moved quickly to her side and picked her up. He carried her like a baby all the way down the aisle, practically running for the limo waiting for them outside. He paused only for a moment when he heard Sig calling for them.

"Hey! Have fun on your honeymoon…just be sure to be back in time for King Crab season!"

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	3. Time To Go

Three weeks after Edgar and Jack's honeymoon in the Cayman Islands, they got the call to head back to Dutch Harbor. The time for the king crab season had come.

As they walked back onto the boat, they were greeted with whistles and a few jokes from the rest of the crew. Edgar was beaming happily and Jake smirked as he leaned over to murmur something to him.

"Looks like someone had a good time!"

Edgar pretended to try and hit Jake upside the head. Jake ducked and laughed as he ran off. Edgar shook his head and laughed as he turned to through his bag down into his stateroom.

"Okay newlyweds," said Sig over the loud hailer, "Honeymoon's over. Welcome back to hell!"

Jack laughed as she turned back to help Jake and Nick untie the boat from the dock.

Edgar snuck up behind her and gave her a hug. He leaned over her shoulder and murmured into her ear. Jack smiled and laughed loudly at what he was saying.

Matt shook his head and curled his lip up in disgust.

"Newlyweds," he muttered as he walked past them, "This is going to be loads of fun."


	4. Decision

**The last chapter was super short so I decided to post the next chapter with it. Thanks again for the reviews!!**

"Here it comes!" shouted Edgar from the rail, "First pot of the season coming up!"

The crew waited in anticipation while the first pot cleared the rail. A collective moan sounded from the deckhands as the pot hit the launcher. It was completely blank.

Norman and Nick exchanged disappointed glances as they pulled out the old bait and tossed it over the side.

An empty first pot could not be a good sign for the season. It was just plain old bad luck.

Sig cursed in the wheelhouse. He had been so sure that this spot would produce large numbers.

"Its okay guys," said Jake, in an attempt to lighten the quickly darkening mood, "We got twenty more pots out there. This is just one of them. Maybe the next string will be better."

Matt sneered and shot Jake a look of anger and jealousy. The kid had proved himself time and time again to the crew and Matt was beginning to feel a little threatened. The two also had differing personalities, making it even easier to get into fights with one another.

Jake glared back angrily at Matt. The man frustrated the young deckhand quite often. It was like the harder he tried to prove himself to them, Matt only got angrier and angrier.

As they moved through the string, moral began to plummet. Every single pot was blank.

After the string had been pulled, Sig got on the loud hailer.

"Well we're obviously moving to another location," he said with a sigh, "Hopefully it will produce slightly better numbers."

A chorus of snickers came from the irritable deckhands. Matt and Nick shook their heads and shared a frustrated glance.

"Edgar and Norman, could you guys come up here for a moment, please?"

Edgar and Norman exchanged confused glances. Jack shot Edgar a curious look, but Edgar only shrugged his shoulders. The rest of the crew began to feel uneasy as the two brothers left the deck and headed up to the wheelhouse.

"That can't be good," muttered Matt, "He only calls his brothers up there to talk business. Which usually means bad news for the rest of us."

Jack and Jake exchanged worried looks.

"Well there's no use getting ourselves all worked up," said Nick, sensibly, "Let's get the next bait setup ready and we'll just wait and see what happens."

DCDCDCDCDCDCDCDCDCDCDCDCDCDCDC

Meanwhile, up in the wheelhouse…

Sig sighed as his brothers came into the room. Norman took the seat across from Sig and Edgar sat up on the large dashboard.

"What's up?" he asked as Sig turned to face them.

Sig ran a hand through his hair and sighed again.

"Well, you guys know how many deckhands it takes to keep this boat running. We only need four."

Edgar looked up sharply, alarm flashing in his eyes.

"I said yes to a fifth man because you guys needed the help," continued Sig, "Then we got a sixth deckhand. That helped you guys out a lot, I know. But, the thing is, I'm considering downsizing back to our five man crew. It would mean everyone else gets bigger pay cuts and there'd be more room on the boat. The only thing is, I don't know who to cut yet. I thought I'd see what you two think."

Edgar was gaping in shock. Norman's eyes were wide with surprise as he glanced between his two brothers.

"I, um, I don't know, Sig," muttered Norman, "The crew's pretty close now. Is this really such a good idea?"

"I've thought about that too," agreed Sig, "But right now I have to think about what is best for the boat financial and safety wise. It'd be better to have a five man crew."

Edgar shook his head in disbelief.

"Well I don't like it."

Sig rolled his eyes at his younger brother.

"Neither do I, Edgar but this is what I've decided to do. Now, I want to k now who you two think is expendable."

Edgar gaped again in disbelief. How could his brother expect him to even make such a decision like that?

"I'm going to have to plead the fifth on that one, Sig," said Norman, "I don't want to make that decision."

"Neither do I," said Edgar with a defiant, angry glare.

Sig took a deep breath and nodded. He leaned back in his chair and looked out the window. The seas were building and the weather was promising to be rough that day.

"Fine," he said finally, "I can understand that I guess. We'll let the season play out then and I'll make my decision after it's over."

Edgar slapped the dashboard angrily and turned sharply to walk out of the wheelhouse. Norman followed close behind him, giving his older brother a sad look of disappointment before disappearing down the stairs.

Sig watched them leave with a contemplative look on his face. For a second he regretted the decision, but he had to do what was best for the boat, no matter how hard that decision may be.

Someone would have to go.

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	5. Something's Not Right

The other deckhands watched nervously as Edgar and Norman walked back out onto the deck. Norman looked sulky and depressed, while Edgar looked enraged.

Without saying a word to anyone, Edgar went to operate the hydraulics. Matt and Jack exchanged a brief glance before they went to untie pots from the stack. Something was up and they were feeling rather unsettled by the brothers' current dispositions.

Jake walked slowly over to Edgar, concern in his eyes. He shuffled his feet slightly as he tried to figure out what to say.

"So, um…what was that all about?"

Edgar's jaw tightened as he maneuvered the crane. A slight glimmer of sadness and regret crossed his eyes, but he quickly covered it up. Jake, however, did not miss the look. It alarmed him greatly. Not too many things got to Edgar Hansen like that. The guy was as tough as nails.

"Don't worry about it, Jake," he muttered, "Just do your job, okay?"

Jake's worried expression deepened as he gazed at his deck boss and friend. Something bad had happened in the wheelhouse. The fact that Edgar would not talk to him about it confirmed that fact.

Jake nodded reluctantly and turned to help put the first pot on the launcher.

Nick shot a questioning look in Jake's direction, but he only shook his head in reply. Nick sighed and turned to help guide the pot along the deck.

After the first pot was launched, Jack made her way over to Edgar. He was still standing behind the hydraulic controls, gazing blankly out onto the Bering Sea.

Jack frowned in concern as she approached him. He jumped slightly as she put her arm around his back. He gazed down at her with a deeply saddened look on his face. Jack was slightly thrown back by the look on his face. It was not like Edgar to let something bother him like this. Whatever had happened in there, it was not good.

"You okay?" she murmured softly, choosing not to ask him specifically what had occurred. If he wanted to tell her, he would on his own.

Edgar took a deep breath and shook his head slightly.

"No…but I can't talk about it. I'm sorry."

"Not even to me?"

Edgar shot her another despairing look.

"No, I'm sorry. I just can't."

Jack nodded in understanding, unsettled by his reply. After all they had been through together, he should be able to tell her anything, especially now that they were married. But then again, this was business and may not have anything to do with either of them.

"Okay," she muttered, attempting to hide her discomfort, "I understand."

Edgar gave her a grateful glance before he turned back to the controls to guide the next pot to the launcher.

Jack took a deep breath and turned back to do her job. After all, that was all she could do at the moment.

"There's no sense in worrying about this," she thought to herself, "It's not like I can do anything about whatever it is. Just let it go and do your job."

But in truth, the look on Edgar's face troubled her deeply. Something was very, very wrong.

**PLEASE REVIEW!!**

**Just a reminder, I won't have internet access from June 21-29. I'm trying to make up for it now by writing as much as I can. When I get the internet back I will continue my three stories, promise!! Thanks for the reviews!!**


	6. Private Conversation

If moral on the deck was bad before, it had taken a deep nose dive shortly after Norman and Edgar stepped out of the wheelhouse.

The entire crew knew something was going on and they began to feel unsettled when they overheard Edgar telling Jack that he could not speak about what had happened up in the wheelhouse.

Matt felt betrayed and kept shooting Edgar angry looks as they launched the pots in another area Sig had chosen. Edgar was supposed to be his best friend and now he would not tell him what was going on.

The lack of crab in the first string added to their frustrations. No crab, no money, and now a secret conversation had them all on edge.

Jake walked over behind a few stacks of pots and motioned for Jack to follow him. Jack frowned in concern and glanced around warily. Edgar glanced at her but looked away quickly when they made eye-contact. With a sigh, Jack slipped between the stacks and faced Jake.

"What is it?" she asked in a whisper.

Jake fidgeted nervously and gave her a somewhat fearful look.

"I don't know. It's just that, well, the only reason Sig would have called his brothers up there and told them not to repeat whatever it is he told them, would be that he's planning to fire someone. I mean, why else wouldn't they be able to talk to the rest of us?"

Jack's frown deepened and she suddenly understood why Jake was worried. It did make perfect sense.

"And another thing," he said, glancing over Jack's shoulder to make sure no one was paying them much attention, "If that is the case…if they are going to let someone go, you and I are last two people that were hired. But you are married to Edgar so you're fine. Me…I'm expendable."

Jack's eyes widened in surprise and she gave Jake a shocked look.

"What do you mean? You're not expendable! Jake, you're one of the best deckhands I know!"

"Thanks, but I'm also one of the newest additions and I'm not related to the Hansen family. I'm on the chopping block!"

"Hey!" shouted Matt from across the deck, "You two gonna stand there and gossip all day or are you gonna work?"

Jack shot Jake a despairing look and turned to walk out from behind the stacks of pots. She glanced around uneasily as the other deckhands shot them curious and suspicious looks. Nick and Matt shared a look and nodded knowingly to one another.

Jack felt a sense of anger and alarm. Everyone was so paranoid about what was going on that they were beginning to think every whisper and every sideways glance was part of some conspiracy.

She sighed and shook her head as she began to untie the next few pots. She muttered under her breath, irritably.

"This is getting out of hand."

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	7. The Fight

"Get your head out of the clouds, Anderson!"

Jake looked up sharply and glared at Matt. He snarled in anger at the older deckhand.

"I'm doing my job!" he shot back, "Which is more than you can say!"

Matt tensed up and stood rigid, preparing to launch himself at the young deckhand.

"Knock it off," muttered Norman, unenthusiastically, "Just finish hauling the string, okay?"

Matt sneered, "Why? We're averaging ten a pot! We're almost working for free out here!"

"Well there's a good way to boost morale," said Nick with a glare in Matt's direction.

Jack sighed in exasperation. The tension was getting thicker and thicker by the moment. Sig's new test string was proving to be almost as bad as their other string of pots. Apparently moving north did nothing to increase their numbers and the deckhands were beginning to get even more frustrated and irritable.

"Well you wanna know what's ticking me off?" continued Matt as he slung another female crab over the rail, "Certain deckhands keeping secrets from the rest of us! It ain't right!"

"I told you earlier that Sig said we couldn't say anything," said Edgar calmly as he headed over to the hydraulic controls.

"Bull!" snapped Matt, "You're my best friend and you won't tell me what's going on! Right about now, I don't care what Sig has to say! Look where he's got us. We're hauling nearly empty pots in twenty foot swells and he's planning something that he will only tell certain members of the crew!"

Jack's eyes widened with shock. Matt's open disrespect for their captain was alarming.

"Just stop it, would you?" asked Nick, "We're all upset about all this but talking about it isn't going to change a thing. Just shut up and do your job, Matt."

As Nick was talking, Edgar motioned for Jake to join him over at the hydraulic controls. He began to show him, once again, how to guide a pot to and from the launcher.

"And that's another thing!" snarled Matt, "Why are you spending so much time with him? He doesn't need to know how to operate that thing! That's why you and Norman are here."

"I'd like to do a little more than bait pots and do little greenhorn chores," said Jake with an edge to his voice, "You may be comfortable with not moving up in the ranks, but I'm not."

Matt's anger began to boil over. He cursed loudly and stomped over to the rail as the next pot came up.

Jack and Edgar locked eyes with one another. Edgar gave her an apologetic and concerned look. Keeping this secret from her was tearing him apart and he could only guess how she must feel. Jack smiled sadly in understanding and watched as Jake moved to help Matt open the crab pot door.

They dumped the eight crabs onto the sorting table and moved to close the door. As Jake walked away, leaving the door slightly loose, Matt began to yell again.

"You going to worry about that door, Jake?"

"No, I'm not going to worry about it!" he shot back in anger.

"You're going to walk away from your job, half-way done yet again?" mocked Matt as he began to fix Jake's 

side of the door, "Get back over here!"

"You fix it, Bradley!"

Suddenly, Matt just snapped. He whirled around and glared at the young deckhand. Jake saw the look in Matt's eyes and readied his stance. He jerked his head back, enticing Matt to try and throw a punch.

"Guys…" said Nick, warningly.

Matt leapt quickly, reaching out and pushing his hand into Jake's throat. Jake was caught off guard by the unexpected attack and stumbled back. He shoved Matt's hand away and swung at his head. He missed as the boat took a wave and the deck rolled violently. The two men fell to the deck and struggled to get in the next good hit.

"Knock it off!" screamed Nick as he and Norman ran over to try and break up the fight.

Jack was closest to the chaos and leapt in-between the two men as they regained their footing. Matt was nearly blind with rage and salt spray and did not see Jack leap in front of him. He swung out blindly and felt his fist collide with what he thought was Jake's jaw.

Jack cried out in pain as a sudden flash of light passed before her eyes. She felt her mind begin to black out as she hit the deck.

Jake's eyes flew open wide with panic and disbelief.

"You idiot!" he screamed, "Look what you did!"

Matt blinked, stupefied by what he had just done. Edgar ran over to Jack and knelt down beside of her. By now she had blacked out completely and was lying still on the slippery, rolling deck.

Nick and Norman shot furious and disbelieving looks at the two feuding men.

"Are you two happy now?" asked Norman quietly.

Edgar picked Jack up off the deck and turned to carry her inside.

"What the hell was that?" screamed an absolutely irate Sig Hansen over the loud hailer.

Norman went over to the intercom and pushed the button.

"Matt and Jake got in a fight. Jack tried to break it up and Matt punched her…I think she just got caught in the crossfire. Edgar's taking her in the galley now."

Sig let out a string of curse words at the news. He was infuriated that his deckhands had gotten into a childish fist fight in the middle of hauling a string in bad weather. But on top of that, they had inadvertently injured another innocent deckhand in the process. In Sig's book that was totally unacceptable.

"Guess this makes my decision a little easier," he muttered crossly to himself, "Thanks to that little incident that narrows my choice down to two…"

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	8. Aftermath

Jack's eyes blinked open slowly. She glanced around the room and narrowed her eyes in confusion. She rolled over and tried to sit up but a sharp pain shot through her jaw and up to her head. She grimaced and touched a hand to the bruised and slightly swollen area.

"What the heck…?"

Suddenly it all came back to her. The fight. Jake and Matt trying to punch each other's lights out, Nick and Norman shouting and trying to break it up, then herself jumping between the two feuding men, Matt's furious, clouded gaze, then a sharp, unexpected pain, then blackness…

"I must have passed out," she muttered.

She glanced around the unfamiliar room again. This was not her stateroom, that was for sure. Then she recognized a couple sweatshirts on the floor. It was Edgar's room.

"That explains why it's so big," she murmured as she tried to stand up.

Her head swam and she nearly fell back down again. Just barely managing to regain her footing, Jack shook her head crossly and made her way to the door. Inside the galley everything was silent. Jack squeezed her eyes shut and cursed. That meant the crew was outside working while she was inside sleeping. Even though she knew it was not her fault, she hated to think of the crew slaving away while she was warm and dry.

She walked unsteadily into the galley and reached up into one of the cabinets. She pulled out a bottle of pain reliever and took three of the red pills. Then she hurried into the small room where the crew put on their slickers before heading out to the deck. After scrambling into her rain gear, she opened the door and stepped out into the freezing cold air.

The waves were twenty feet high and the spray was overwhelming. She saw Edgar, Jake, and Nick sorting crab while Matt and Norman got ready to bring in the next pot.

She rushed over to help Matt as the pot cleared the railing. Matt did not seem to notice her until after they dumped the crab onto the sorting table. His eyes grew wide with surprise when he finally took notice of her.

"Jack?" asked Nick, "What are you doing out here? You're supposed to be resting."

Jack shot him an amused look.

"Do you honestly think I could do that? Lay in a warm, dry bed while knowing you guys are all out here soaking wet and freezing?"

Nick smirked and Norman shook his head in disbelief.

"I would," he muttered.

Nick and Jack laughed as they turned to help sort the crab. They were pulling average numbers now, which was more than earlier. At least now they would be making some money.

Jake shot Jack an apologetic look as he walked over to her.

"I'm sorry about what happened," he murmured, "I never meant for you to get hurt…"

Jack shook her head, "Don't worry about it. Let's just keep focused on what we need to do, okay?"

Jake nodded in agreement and ran over to help Norman and Edgar with the next pot.

Matt sauntered over slowly to Jack while she watched the next pot clear the rail.

"Hey, um, I'm really sorry," he said with sincerity in his voice, "I never meant to hit you…I was aiming for that arrogant little punk, not you."

Jack shot Matt a warning look.

"I know, Matt. But lay off, would you? I mean, you went for his throat! That's not cool."

"He asked for it," muttered Matt crossly.

Jack frowned as the next round of crab were dumped onto the sorting table. As she tossed the keepers into the holding tank, she began to think of what to do about the feud. It seemed to her that the reason for the fight was a lack of communication. Obviously the two men had chips on their shoulders but were unwilling to talk about them or explain them to one another.

"Maybe," thought Jack, "If I can get them to talk to each other…just maybe they'll get over whatever it is that's bothering them."

With determination in her eyes, Jack moved to bring the next pot onboard. She would bring this crew back together, whatever the cost…

PLEASE REVIEW!!

I know…this wasn't the best chapter cause not much happened. The next one will be better, I promise!!


	9. Understanding

In between strings, Jack approached Matt. She took a deep breath and leaned over towards him.

"Hey," she hissed, "Meet me in the galley in five minutes."

Matt gave her a quizzical look. He shrugged his shoulders and nodded in agreement.

She had already asked Jake to meet her in the galley. She glanced around the deck and realized that he must have already gone below to wait for her.

Jack inched her way over to the door, glancing around to make sure that no one paid her much attention. She casually slipped away and went into the galley.

Jake was sitting behind the table, sipping on a cup of coffee. He looked up when he heard the door open and nodded in greeting to Jack. She smiled back and sat down beside of him.

"So what'd you want to talk to me about?" asked Jake as she settled down behind the table.

He noticed that she seemed rather nervous and kept glancing at the door, as if she was expecting someone to walk in at any moment. He narrowed his eyes in curiosity.

Jack opened her mouth to reply, but was interrupted when the galley door swung open. She saw Jake tense up instantly when he realized who it was.

Matt's expression mirrored Jake's. He shot Jack an accusing look as he stomped angrily over to the coffeemaker.

"What's he doing here?" he demanded.

"I asked him to come," replied Jack, calmly, "I asked both of you to come. I needed to talk to you two."

Matt sneered and Jake looked away angrily.

"Come on over and sit, Matt," said Jack.

"Why should I? You're not the captain last time I checked."

Jack's eyes flickered with anger for a brief second. She forced herself to calm down and relaxed her facial expression.

"I know," she replied, a little less calm than before, "I just wanted to talk to you guys. We need to sort this out before it gets anymore out of hand."

Matt flinched slightly at that. He had accidentally hit Jack when she jumped in between himself and Jake when they were in a fist-fight out on the deck. He muttered something under his breath as he sat down on the other side of the table, across from Jake.

"Fine," he murmured, "But if he says one wrong word…"

"That's enough, Matt," said Jack, "Now, I want to know what the heck started that fight. There's no way it could have been because of some stupid pot door. What's going on, guys?"

Jack glanced between the two scowling men and waited for a reply. Matt sat up straighter and took a deep breath.

"It's all his fault," he said with disdain, "He's always showing off, you know? Trying to do all these jobs he isn't required to do. It makes me look bad and its annoying as heck."

Jake shot Matt an irritated glance.

"I'd like to move up one day, Matt," he snapped, "If your happy staying in the same place all the time that's your deal, but I want to learn all I can."

"Why do you think it makes you look bad?" asked Jack, prompting Matt to continue.

Matt shot Jake an look of dislike before he turned to Jack.

"I don't know," he muttered, "I just need this job. And then some young kid gets on and starts showing me up. It doesn't look good. And then with this whole secrecy thing between the Hansen brothers…it seems like someone's being let go and I think it could be me. I mean, Jake's younger and better than me and we have a six man crew…I'm the most expendable one here."

Jake's hard, angry gaze softened. He gave Matt a concerned and confused look.

"Dude what are you talking about?" he asked, "You got more experience than me. You've been on here longer than I have so you know what you're doing. I'm still learning, so that makes me the more expendable one."

Matt shrugged and looked down at the table. He fidgeted slightly, obviously uncomfortable about sharing what he felt with the younger deckhand.

"Anything else, Matt?" prompted Jack, pleased that Matt had begun to open up slightly.

Matt glanced around nervously and shrugged again.

"Anything anyone says here stays here, okay?" assured Jack, "I won't tell a soul what you tell me and Jake and I know he won't either."

Jake nodded in agreement.

"Yeah, I won't say anything."

Matt fidgeted a few more seconds, then took a deep breath.

"Well, there is one other thing," he said quietly, "Edgar and I've been friends since we were in junior high. But ever since you joined the crew, he seems to be hanging out with you more. I don't know, maybe its childish, but I guess…I guess I'm jealous. I mean, you're younger, better, and stronger than me and now you and my best friend are all buddy-buddy with each other."

Jake seemed to have a genuine concern in his eyes. He looked taken back as well. He had not expected for Matt to say anything like this.

"Matt, man, I'm sorry," he said with sincerity in his voice, "Dude I didn't know. I'm not trying to take your job or your friend."

"Yeah I know you're not," said Matt, "Maybe I'm just being stupid…I don't know."

"That's not true," assured Jake, "I'd feel the same way. Look, maybe if you and I worked together on some new stuff, you know? Like the hydraulics or throwing the hook more or something, maybe we could both learn and help each other out. And I know for a fact that Edgar still thinks of you like his best friend. He talks about you a lot while we're on deck and he's teaching me stuff. He tells me stories about when you were a greenhorn."

Matt looked genuinely surprised and pleased to hear this.

"He does?"

Jake smiled and reached over to punch Matt in the arm.

"Yeah he does."

Matt smiled and shook his head.

"So that whole fight was pretty stupid then, huh?"

Jake shrugged, "I guess…but maybe I deserved it a little."

Matt sneered, "A little?"

Jack sat back and laughed. She was pleasantly surprised by how easy it was to get these guys to stop being so mean to each other. All they needed to do was communicate how they felt and what was going on.

"So are you two alright now?" she asked after a moment.

Matt nodded, "Yeah I think so."

Just then, Sig's voice came over the loud hailer.

"We're at the next string and I'm missing half my crew!" he shouted, irritably.

The three deckhands winced slightly. They stood up and began to head to the door.

"Well, at least Sig's his usual self today!" said Matt with a sneer.

Jack and Jake murmured their agreement as they headed out onto the deck.

"Now," thought Jack, "At least we can all get along for the time being."

Jack felt her heart tighten in her chest when she realized that in only a few more days they would be back in Dutch Harbor and Sig would be making his decision on who would be leaving the Northwestern. She sighed as she watched Jake and Matt talking about the hydraulic controls. If only there was a way to stop it from happening…

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	10. Heading Home

As the Northwestern turned to head back home to Dutch Harbor, Jack found herself growing more and more stressed out.

The rest of the crew had become nearly silent as they neared the harbor. They all knew that Sig would make his final decision once they reached the dock.

Jack decided to escape the tension-filled galley and climbed around onto the bow of the boat. She stood at the very front of the boat and leaned out to look at the fast moving water beneath her. She smiled to herself when she remembered the look on everyone's faces when they saw Matt and Jake working well together.

The two men had returned from their chat in the galley in a better mood and a more agreeable disposition. Jake began to show Matt the basics of the hydraulics and Matt seemed to actually enjoy learning from the younger deckhand. They goofed around and ended up making the whole crew's moral lift as they pulled in the last two strings.

Then Jack's heart plummeted when she realized that it could have been all for nothing. Sig was probably about to fire one of the deckhands and nothing would be the same. After all the crew had been through together and how close they were as not only co-workers but as a family, it was going to be extremely difficult to say good-bye to any of them, if in fact that was what Sig intended to do.

Edgar stuck his head out of the galley and looked around the deck. He frowned when he did not see Jack, but suddenly realized where she would be. He smiled knowingly as he swung around the outside of the wheelhouse and climbed to the front of the bow. He glanced down at the fast moving water and suddenly flashed back to the day he first led Jack out onto the bow. She was a greenhorn and was utterly terrified of falling, but her stubbornness and fear of failure overruled her terror of the freezing cold water. She had been so desperate to prove herself and in Edgar's mind she had done that many times over.

Jack gasped when she felt hands wrap around her waist. She turned around quickly but broke out into a grin when she saw that it was her husband.

"I thought you'd be out here," said Edgar in a low voice.

Jack moaned slightly and hugged him, "I love it when you talk like that."

Edgar laughed and squeezed his wife tightly until she squealed for him to let her go. He obeyed and let her turn around to face the front of the boat. He stood behind her, resting his head against hers. She smiled with contentment and felt herself instantly relax. People say you should never mix business with pleasure but Jack had to disagree. She would not have it any other way.

As the boat began to pull into Dutch Harbor Jack took a deep breath, preparing herself for whatever it was Sig was planning to announce to them.

Edgar frowned and sighed as he too remembered what Sig had said.

"I wish we could stop it too, you know," he murmured, "I at least wish I could have told you what it was."

Jack smiled sadly and turned to kiss her husband.

"I know…I know," she said reassuringly, "Whatever this is, I don't blame you."

Edgar smiled slightly, "You guys figured it out didn't you?"

Jack sneered, "It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out why Sig called his two brothers into the wheelhouse and made them promise not to repeat whatever it is he told them. We're not geniuses, but we're not stupid either."

Edgar smiled and gave her another hug.

"I know you're not," he said as he sighed, "I just hope…"

"What?"

"Nothing…I don't know precisely what he decided on…"

"You mean, who?"

Edgar narrowed his eyes at Jack playfully.

"Nice try."

Jack smirked.

"Anyway, I don't know what his final decision was, but I hope it doesn't change anything."

Jack frowned.

"Edgar, I'm afraid no matter what his final decision is…it is going to change things, and not for the better…"

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	11. Mutiny

Jack felt mixed emotions as she watched some of the dock workers tie the Northwestern to the dock. She was happy to be back on the land, but she almost wished they had another week together out on the water. At least then they would all still be together.

"Hey guys," said Sig over the loud hailer, "Meet me out on the deck before you all take off. I have something to say."

Jack winced slightly and glanced over her shoulder. Edgar walked over beside of her and put his arm around her, comfortingly. They waited as the other deckhands came out from the galley.

"What's going on?" asked Matt as he and his new friend, Jake, walked over to them.

"Sig's making his announcement," murmured Jack, sadly.

Matt and Jake's faces fell instantly. They shared a knowing look as Nick and Norman joined them. Edgar and Norman exchanged regretful and depressed looks as well. They had been carrying this burden around with them for a long time now. They wondered if the crew would be angry at them for keeping this secret once they discovered what it was.

The entire crew tensed at the same time as they watched Sig open the wheelhouse door and climb down to them. He had an almost regretful look about his face as well as his eyes scanned his crew briefly.

"Okay," he said as he walked over to them, "I'm going to try and make this quick and as painless as possible, okay?"

Jack sneered quietly. Her own anger and frustration toward her captain surprised her. She had such a large amount of respect for Sig but this was just wrong. She could not bring herself to even pretend she agreed with what was about to happen.

Sig caught the look in Jack's eyes. She looked away quickly as Sig continued to speak.

"We obviously do not need a six man crew. Our boat requires four, you requested five so I added Jake. Then I met Jack and she ended up being a worthy addition to the crew. However, I did some math and I've decided that it would be best for the boat and for the rest of the crew if I let someone go. That means more room on the boat, more money for the other deckhands, and it'd be a little safer overall…the less people on a boat the fewer chances you have of someone getting hurt."

Jack glanced over at Jake. He was looking at the ground and swallowed nervously. She knew he expected to be cut from the crew.

"So, after a lot of consideration," continued Sig, each word getting harder and harder to say, "Matt…this is your last trip."

Jack felt as if someone had just stabbed a knife into her heart. She had just managed to get Matt and Jake to get along and the two men had actually become good friends the past couple days. Matt also needed this job. His job was his family's only income and he desperately wanted to put his daughter through college.

Matt's face fell slightly and he clenched his jaw, holding back his emotion at the announcement. Although it came as no surprise to him, it still hurt. He was actually surprised Sig allowed him to work on the boat as long as he did. After all the mistakes he had made, Sig kept giving him chance after chance. He nodded in resignation and turned to walk back into the galley.

Jake's mouth flew open when he heard the announcement. He was sure that he was going to be the one to be cut, not Matt. He watched his new friend make his way back to the door to go down into the galley, sadness and surprise in his eyes.

"This isn't right," said Jack suddenly.

Edgar's eyes widened in surprise. He elbowed Jack, trying to get her to stop whatever it was she was trying to do.

Sig glanced at Jack and nodded slightly.

"I know, but its how its going to be," he replied firmly, indicating that the topic was not up for discussion.

But Jack's eyes flashed with anger and defiance. She had been thinking of a way to stop this from happening and she just now realized what she would do. It was a desperate reach and a potentially bad decision on her part, but she had to do something.

"No it isn't."

Edgar shot Jack an utterly baffled look. He shook his head quickly, eyes begging her to stop talking. Norman raised an eyebrow. Jake smiled slightly. He knew Jack would not just let this happen…at least not without a fight.

Sig narrowed his eyes, angry and surprised at being so openly challenged by one of his best deckhands.

"Excuse me?" he asked, anger sparking in his eyes.

Jack took a deep breath, feeling her legs quake under Sig's furious glare.

"I'm not going to just stand here and pretend that it's okay for you to fire one of us," she said calmly, but with an edge to her voice, "After all we've been through together you can't just separate us like this. And Matt needs this job…you know that as well as I do. If he…"

"I think everyone on here needs this job," retorted Sig, becoming angrier by the minute, "That's why everyone's on here right?"

He shot angry glares across his other deckhands. They glanced away, nervous and unsure about what was happening.

"Sir…"

"If you don't like it," interrupted Sig with a snarl, "Then you can get the hell off! Do not ever challenge me in front of the crew! You're lucky I don't fire you too!"

Jack's eyes flashed with anger and disbelief. Where was the understanding captain she knew and respected?

"If Matt leaves, I leave!" she retorted.

Sig shook his head and sneered.

"Fine, then you're gone!"

He mumbled angrily under his breath as he climbed back up to the wheelhouse and slammed the door shut.

The rest of the crew gaped at Jack in shock.

"What…what the hell did you just do?" asked Edgar, eyes wide with fear and uncertainty.

Jack sighed with disappointment. Her plan had backfired. Threatening to leave the boat had no affect on 

Sig.

"Apparently…I just got myself fired…"

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	12. Family

**Omg this is the last chapter!! I totally did not realize that it was the end already!! Wow! I'm going to miss writing this "trilogy." I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did!!**

Jack followed Matt down into the galley while the rest of the crew stayed on the deck, gaping in shock.

"I can't believe that just happened," murmured Nick.

Jake shook his head with despair. He and Jack were good friends and worked well together. He respected her and enjoyed being able to work with her out on the deck. Now it seemed all that was about to end.

Edgar shook his head and ran his hands through his hair as he turned to look out over the harbor. He could not believe Sig had just fired his wife and his best friend. It was overwhelming.

Matt looked up with surprise when he saw Jack walking into the galley. He watched as she grabbed her oversized duffel bag and began to throw her things into it.

"What are you doing?" he asked with a confused look.

"I've just been fired," murmured Jack as she threw her clothes into the bag.

"What?" exclaimed Matt in surprise, "What the heck did you do?"

Jack smirked slightly, "I shared my opinion on Sig's decision. I don't think he appreciated it…I kind of challenged him in front of the crew."

Matt's eyes grew wide and he gave her a startled expression.

"Why'd you go and do something like that?" he exclaimed, "Seriously, Jack, I'm not worth that! Go back up there and tell him you're sorry, you didn't mean it, and get your job back! Heck, I'll go up there with you!"

Jack shook her head in protest, "No I won't grovel. And if I apologized I'd be lying. I'm not sorry I said what I said. It was the truth and it was how I feel. It's said and done, so let's just get the hell outta here, okay?"

Jack swallowed back the emotion that rose up in her throat. It was not fair that Matt was being let go but it was even more unfair that Sig was letting her go too. She had hoped that by telling Sig how close the crew was and how wrong it was for him to separate them, that he would understand or at least hear her out. Her plan had backfired and now here she was, packing up to leave the one place on earth she loved more than life itself. She wondered briefly what she would do now. Maybe she would move back home and find a job at a fishery on the east coast. It wouldn't be the same but at least she'd have a job.

Once they packed, Matt and Jack walked out of the galley together. The rest of the crew was leaning on the rail on the far side of the boat looking very glum. They looked up when they saw Matt and Jack walk by.

Jake shot Jack a despairing look. Jack smiled back sadly as she headed over to the dock. Edgar did not look up at either of them. He was afraid if he did then he wouldn't be able to control his emotions and he definitely did not want to get upset in front of his crew or Sig.

Matt jumped up onto the dock first and turned around to grab Jack's bag. She handed it over to him gratefully and put her foot up on the rail to climb onto the dock.

"Stop!" said a voice suddenly.

Jack whirled around with surprise and glanced up. Sig was standing outside his wheelhouse, pacing along the short second level dock.

"Just…stop," he said quieter, with uncertainty in his voice, "Get back on the boat."

Jack and Matt exchanged confused and uncertain looks.

Sig seemed to read Jack's mind.

"Yes, you too Matt."

Matt's eyebrows shot up with surprise. He tossed their bags down onto the deck and jumped back onto the boat.

Jack's eyes were sparkling with happiness as she looked up at Sig. He had finally gotten it. It had finally clicked.

The rest of the crew watched, speechless as the two deckhands stood together on the deck. Jake was smiling broadly, obviously thrilled that Jack and his new-found friend, Matt, were staying. Edgar was looking up at his brother like he had grown a second head. This was definitely different than the Sig he knew.

"You know what?" said Sig as he stopped pacing for a second, "Screw the money, screw the safety crap, screw it all! It wouldn't be the same without everyone together. It just took a certain young, hard-headed, female deckhand to remind me of how close you guys really are."

Jack was beaming with happiness. She was so glad that Sig finally understood how important it was for the crew to stay together like this. After everything they had been through together, they had all become close friends. In fact, they had become more than just good friends…

They were family.

THE END

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Thanks so much to everyone who stuck with the Greenhorns and Rivals trilogy!! I really appreciated all the feedback!! You guys rock!


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